Drug-related mortality extends well beyond the number of overdose deaths. Drawing on ICD-10 codes that were categorized by the CDC, drug-related deaths record at least one of more than 100 drug-induced conditions as the underlying or contributing cause of death. In the United States in 2023, there were 105,007 drug overdose deaths, 109,067 drug-induced deaths, and 447,749 drug-related deaths, according to the CDC’s WONDER database. A focus on drug-related mortality provides a more complete understanding of the extent of the drug crisis and the burden of harm attributable to drugs.
Federal agencies underreport the overdose epidemic by referencing only the number of deaths that record drug overdose as the underlying cause of death, omitting thousands of deaths that record it as a contributing cause of death. In 2023, there were 112,106 overdose-related deaths, of which 105,007 cited drug overdose as the underlying cause of death and 7,099 cited it as a contributing cause, according to the CDC’s WONDER database. The recognition of these additional overdose-related deaths––which cite underlying causes that range from drowning to car crashes––provides a more complete understanding of the overdose epidemic.
Copyright © 2025 The Center for Drug Control Policy - All Rights Reserved.